Out of Milwaukee/Jackson, progressive rockers Wiszdomstone breathe fresh air into the half dead corpse that has become prog rock (in this scene) over the past decade. Dio, Maiden, Sabbath, and especially, Queensryche come to mind when listening to tracks that are meticulously produced in an obviously laborious studio setting. Music such as this transcends the song at hand by becoming a true art form. Calculated breaks, modulations and time changes create tracks that can be listened to over and over, where the listener can hear something new, or missed for the first few times around. For those who are truly into prog Wiszdomstone puts out what progressive fans yearn for with stellar musicianship and melody that keeps it interesting and accessible. No live shows posted yet, but with accolades from some of the top press in the industry, and the selling out of their first EP The Battle Rages, it would seem that popular demand will prevail. For a full view of what this band is about (and what they no doubt will become) check out www.wiszdomstone.com. –Lane Klozier, Maximum Ink

the CD absolutely rocks! Review by spacekev

Performance

Writing

Production

HOLY SMOKES, the CD absolutely rocks! From the opening wails on the first song "Rise", to the outro guitar shredding on the last song "U Should Not Fear", I was blown away. It is a solid CD from beginning to end. NO FILLER, ALL KILLER! WiszdomStone builds upon a fantastic foundation. You can hear the influences of Judas Priest's "Screaming for Vengeance" and "Defenders of the Faith". I can hear Dio's "Holy Diver" and Black Sabbath's "Heaven and Hell". With that firm foundation, Wiszdom Stone has a fresh and moern sound. The songs have that epic sound and feel similar to that of Kamelot and Avantasia. The opening riff to "Floods And Fires" is just bone crunching. "Take This Cup" is epic. There is just too much great songs to single out any one thing. I love them all. The vocals really remind me of a cross between Dio, Kai Hansen of Gamma Ray and John Bush of Armored Saint. When listening to the chorus on the title track "Rise", the vocals are soaring, and just when I think that he can't hit a higher note, bam!, he does. The vocals on "The Sky is Falling" are solid and kick you square in the gut. The guitar tone is very raw sounding. In some small way, it reminds me of a cross between "Shout at the Devil" by Motley Crue and "To Hell with the Devil" by Stryper. The sound is perfect for them. Besides the raw sound of the guitar, I really like that it shreds when it needs to shred and it his heavy and melodic when it needs to be heavy and melodic. Simply, it is smart and skillful playing. No good band would be complete without a tight rhythm section. Wiszdom Stone has a great rhythm section. Great double bass work and great drum fills. The bass is solid, deep and thundering. From top to bottom, "Rise", by Wiszdom Stone is a awesome CD. You need to add this your collection and put it into heavy rotation on your MP3 player. (Posted on 7/27/13)